At first, the massive tremors that shook the ground made everyone think it was a sudden earthquake. After all, in this island nation, earthquakes were common.
But when the earth split open and a colossal creature burst forth from the ground, it became immediately clear that this was no natural disaster. It was another monster—enormous, terrifying, and entirely unexpected.
The creature had a serpentine body and a head that was nothing more than a gaping mouth filled with jagged fangs. It had no eyes, no nose, and its slimy, worm-like form stretched over fifteen meters long and nearly one and a half meters thick.
This monster was known as "Notsuchi," named for its resemblance to a handleless war club. Ferocious and ambush-oriented, Notsuchi had a habit of lying in wait underground or in tall grass, striking any passing humans. In ancient times, locals, terrified of its attacks, even revered it as a minor earth deity.
Ugly and monstrous as it was, Notsuchi possessed an undeniable air of superiority. Folklore claimed it descended from the ancestral gods Izanagi and Izanami, making its lineage powerful, though within the yokai hierarchy, it was hardly exceptional.
The moment Notsuchi surfaced, its gaze—or rather, its target—was unmistakably clear: Yamato Kuka, still locked in battle with Futakuchi-onna. Instantly, bystanders assumed it was an ally of the B-rank demon, ready to tip the fight in her favor.
With the precision of a predator, Notsuchi lunged from the ground, its massive maw opening wide, aiming to crush both Futakuchi-onna and Yamato Kuka in one deadly strike. Neither of the yokai had anticipated this sudden interference. Both scrambled back, narrowly avoiding the assault.
The earth-shattering impact of Notsuchi's mouth sent dust and debris billowing into the air, obscuring vision. Amid the haze, a delirious Yamato Kuka, still clutching her Onikiri, tried to maintain her stance. But before she could move, a firm grip pulled her back.
"It's fine. Leave this to me," Yuto said, his tone calm but firm. "If that miasma in your body isn't suppressed soon, you're finished. The situation's changed. Compared to the Futakuchi-onna you were fighting, this Notsuchi is far more dangerous. If it's allowed to run underground unchecked, the foundations of the entire town could collapse, killing hundreds."
Unsurprisingly, Notsuchi's appearance had been anticipated by Yuto and Spider Princess. The massive creature before them wasn't the original Notsuchi, but a corpse animated and controlled by Spider Princess. Even in her demon form, she had the uncanny ability to manipulate corpses with her silk—a power amplified to terrifying effect after becoming a Jorogumo.
Though lifeless in essence, this fifteen-meter "puppet" retained the physical might of a B-rank Calamity Demon. Its original downfall had been its attempt to target Ryuhime, Yuto's younger sister, during a camping trip in the countryside. Yuto's mother, Yami, had accepted an invitation from neighbors to maintain good relations, unknowingly placing Ryuhime in the monster's path.
Wild Hammer—the creature's name before death—had underestimated Ryuhime's companions: Spider Princess and Nurikabe. Using her silk, Spider Princess wove a trap deep underground while Nurikabe pounded the soil from above, forcing the monster into position.
The final blow, however, came from an unexpected source: the grumpy little girl, Ryuki. Infuriated by the ruined camping trip and frightened by the sudden attack, she vented her anger with a flurry of punches, cursing the hapless monster. Thus, the proud B-rank yokai met its humiliating end at the hands of a child. Even Nurikabe, watching, swallowed hard. If Ryuki had turned her attention to him, he would've been finished in an instant. The girl's raw strength had far exceeded even his master's, a terrifying display of human—and half-demon—potential.
Now under Spider Princess's control, Notsuchi remained a formidable threat. Its greatest strengths—its massive size and underground mobility—hadn't diminished. Its sudden intrusion threw the battlefield into chaos. Though Futakuchi-onna and Notsuchi were both B-rank, the earthworm's sheer destructive power dwarfed that of Futakuchi-onna.
Futakuchi-onna took advantage of the turmoil to escape, casting a quick glance toward Yuto before vanishing. Yamato Kuka, though aware of Futakuchi-onna's retreat, was in no condition to give chase. Yuto's earlier warning had been right: Notsuchi's interference was far more troublesome, and she had no choice but to watch helplessly.
"Don't worry about Futakuchi-onna for now," Yuto said, his grip firm on Yamato Kuka's shoulders. "At least I can prove you won the fight. Focus on suppressing that miasma inside you. I'll take care of this giant earthworm."